I consult on content strategy for technology companies and produce web content for entrepreneurs and business owners. Currently I am traveling around the USA on an 8-month roadtrip (in a bright blue RV) exploring 3D Printing, 3D Scanning, and 3D Design. In the past, I have put pen to paper for the Wall Street Journal, Make, Sports Afield, the Pittsburgh Business Times and many others. You can follow my work via Twitter, Google+, or my site: RefineDigital.com

New 3D Printer Aptly Named David

David is a new 3D printer and one that is taking aim at the materials side of the industry. A new Kickstarter project, yet another in the mushrooming world of 3D printers, is live with a new twist – instead of long spools of plastic material, this team has created a printer that will use pelletized materials.

Their premise is this: “Every plastic product, even filament, starts out in pellet form. Because of this, raw pellets are readily available in thousands of different materials, colors, and grades. By printing directly with plastic pellets, David can print with many more materials than traditional 3D printers – making him useful to many more people and industries.”

At first glance, it makes a lot of sense. Even at second glance, it is a logical idea. I believe they’ll fund and not long after they start selling product a larger company will acquire them. It’s a good idea. Not only do you get an expanded, much wider selection of materials, but at a lower cost. They compare the costs on the campaign site, over a period of time. You do not see immediate financial gains since their printer costs a bit more than the MakerBot Replicator, which targets the desktop hobbyist with its affordable machines. TotalTotal cost of ownership comparisons equal out after year two of using the printer. David is from a company called Sculptify which termed their new method of printing: FLEX (Fused Layer Extrusion).

What I like about it is the diversity of materials and the potential to mix your own. That’s the winning formula in my mind – the ability to toss in some carbon fiber pellets (if such a thing exists) or wood (as they mention).

It makes me think about the guy who invented the Filabot, which allows you to recycle plastic items into your own filament. What if they allowed you to create pellets instead of filament. It might be a very fast process since you wouldn’t have to create long strands of plastic.

You can get direct to their Kickstarter campaign here. The printer appears to mirror many of the features that you would expect to find on a “standard” 3D printer. Items like a heated build platform, auto-leveling and different nozzle sizes (among others). All in all, it is an elegant looking machine – with an exterior made from aircraft-grade aluminum and anodized. They added extra windows so that you can see your project as it prints – which is a great idea and sometimes lacking for other printers.

I just returned from traveling around the USA on an 8-month roadtrip (in a bright blue RV) exploring 3D printing, 3D scanning, and 3D design. You can follow me on Twitter or at 3DRV.com.

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